The Matrix
by Audrey A
Summary: Takes place between Reloaded and Matrix: Trinity is hiding something- but she doesnt know what! When she finds out, will it be too late to tell Neo?? Please R&R, its my first fic!!
1. Escape from the Matrix

Neo ran. He was getting quite good at it, too. Gravel crunched beneath his shoes and the wind blew harshly in his face as he dashed madly down the dark streets, navigating his way through the city. Trinity was right ay his heels, struggling to keep up. "Left!" she shouted. Neo glanced at her for a moment before they split up- Neo went left, Trinity went right. The agent stopped short and glanced down either direction, trying to make up it's mind. It turned left. 

Trinity jumped up and grabbed the fire escape hanging ten feet above the ground. She scrambled up the ladder and pulled herself onto an apartment balcony. She peered over the edge and saw that the agent hadn't followed- that meant he was after Neo now. Trinity swung open the apartment door and ran through a small living room, where two children watching a small televison set didn't look up. She ran to an open window and leaped out of it, soaring across a wide alley and landing on another fire escape. 

Neo kept running, and as he did, he pulled out his cell phone. 

"Operator," Tank's voice came over the line.

"Get me outta here!" 

"Downtown Dance- right, go right." Neo turned, went right, and found himself face to face with a twenty foot brick wall. "Can you make it?"

"No problem." He dropped the phone and took a running start before defying gravity and sailing over the enormous obstruction. He hit the ground running.

Trinity slid down the black metal ladder and landed in the street in front of Downtown Dace, a wild night club. Trinity ran across the street, dodging cars and running in front of headlights. She saw a large line of people standing outside the nightclub, waiting to get in. This could be a problem. Trinity walked to the front of the line and handed the guard a folded piece of blank paper. As he was unfolding it, she raised her leg and kicked him directly under the chin. She stepped over his body and into the club.

Inside, there was loud music, strange people, and lot's of dancing. Trinity squeezed her way through the crowd to the back room, where there was a small office with a phone. Thankfully, it was empty, so she thought. She pulled out her cell phone and called Neo...no answer. "My God, he's got to stop dropping his phone," she slammed hers shut and cursed. 

Suddenly, there was a noise behind her and she whirled around. A man raised the bat he was holding and swung. Trinity fell to the floor, unconscious.

Neo jogged down the alley, remembering being here before. Muffled music came from withing the walls around him. He stepped out of the alleyway and found himself in the line to get into the Downtown Dance club. It was very long. In front of him was a guy and his girlfriend, arm in arm. The man turned around, no longer a man, but a machine, "Hello Mr. Anderson."

"Hello Mr. Anderson." Another person turned around...another Smith.

"Hello Mr. Anderson." and another.

The woman once holding her boyfriend's arm turned around, "What the hell's going on here?" An agent reached out his arm and grabbed her by the throat, flinging her off the side like a rag doll.

Neo looked from one to the other to the other. Fists flew and before he knew, three agents had him on the ground. Neo swung his legs and took one down with him. The two other agents dove for him, But Neo jumped into the air. 

Time seemed to stop as he raised out his arms and landed his foot straight onto the agents face. The skin was broken and the metallic face beneath shattered, sending springs and screw strewn about the sidewalk.

_One down, two to go..._

The other agents didn't wait to move in...

They swung at him, but Neo caught both their arms and twisted. The spun and landed on the ground. But an agent doesn't stay down for long. Neo fought hard, but in the back of his mind, he kept asking, _why is this so easy? _They worked in unison, swinging at the same time, kicking at the same time. Neo kicked one into the wall and pieces of brick crumbled about him. The other grabbed him by the back of the neck and began to squeeze the air out of him. Neo elbowed him in the face and broke free. He ran straight and was soon running along the wall as the line of people watched in awe_. _But not for long; an agent reached up, grabbed Neo by the foot_,_ and pulled him off right off the wall. 

Neo landed hard on the sidewalk and felt it crack beneath him just like his back. He lie on his back and triple kicked the agent until his feet ended up on the ground and the agent ended up across the street.

Neo caught his breath- then dashed through the flock of people watching dazed.

The last agent followed, pushing aside people who stood in his way. Neo found himself fin the front of the line. He pushed open the doors, then grabbed the cell phone of one of the people standing in line.("hey!") "Tank- where?" He was brief.

"Back room," so was Tank. 


	2. Trinity remembers sort of

Trinity woke up back in the real world. She looked around the familiar room and saw Tank at the controls  
  
and Morpheus looking over his shoulder. Neo awoke beside her .It was one year after the defeat of Mr. Smith.   
  
Trinity didn't feel good. She was sick to her stomach and felt as his she would puke. She sat up quickly  
  
with her hand over her mouth and made a mad dash for the bathroom.   
  
Neo got out of the seat and ran after her, "Trin! Are you okay?" He stood outside of the bathroom and  
  
waited for her to come out.  
  
Trinity dragged herself to the sink and splashed cold water in her face, then wobbled out and collapsed  
  
into Neo's strong arms. "Wh- what happened?"   
  
He stroked her soft hair, "Don't worry, you're out." Morpheus walked over to them with Spark, the newest  
  
crew member, who led a reluctant Trinity away to her room. She held on to Neo as tight as she could until she  
  
allowed herself to be taken away. "Morpheus, was that really Agent Smith?" Neo leaned against the wall and  
  
closed his eyes.  
  
"Could be. Or maybe he was created to resembled Mr. Smith...."  
  
"What happened to Trinity?" Neo asked.  
  
"I don't know, Neo, we lost her signal and couldn't find her until you did."  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
"Did you find her?"  
  
"Rev? Yeah, we saw her." He was referring to the next person they'd unplug next: Roxanne Morellis alias  
  
Rev. Neo and Trinity had been following her around the matrix nearly all day until they ran into "Mr. Smith."  
  
"Do you think she's ready?" Morpheus stepped forward, "To leave the Matrix?"  
  
Ne ran his hands through his hair, "I dunno...yeah, yeah she is."  
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
"Uh huh. We get her tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Neo nodded, "Williamsport, right?"  
  
"Get some sleep, Neo."  
  
"I'll be sleeping all tomorrow."  
  
  
  
Trinity felt woozy- the room was spinning. She put both her feet on the ground and tried to clear her  
  
head- she remembered vaguely what happened...  
  
  
  
She and Neo were looking up Rev. She lived in "Pennsylvania," and was visiting the city when they saw  
  
her. Rev had blonde hair to her shoulders and bright blue eyes. She looked like a supermodel and Trinity didn't  
  
like her from the start- especially because of the way Neo was looking at her.  
  
"What?" she remembered asking him, "You act like you've never seen a pretty girl before."   
  
Neo looked over at her with his beautiful brown eyes and smiled, "Yeah," he said, "All I've seen is plain  
  
gorgeous." Damn him for saying the right thing. They were sitting at an outdoor café across the street from her  
  
office building- a cover job. Rev was also Roxanne Morellis, a tax specialist. Rev was her hacker name.   
  
"She went in, should we follow her?" She had asked, trying to brush off Neo's comment.  
  
"And do what? We can't just hang out inside till she comes out."  
  
"Nooo, but we could find out more about Roxanne."   
  
"You win, let's go," Neo stood up and stretched, as if he'd been sitting there for hours. Trinity playfully  
  
punched him in the stomach as he did so and put on her sunglasses.  
  
"Hey, that hurt!"  
  
She kissed him on the cheek, "Oh get over it you big baby." She forgave him- for now. But she knew she  
  
wouldn't like having Rev onboard.   
  
Once inside the huge marble building, Trinity stepped up to the front desk and Neo stepped up beside her.  
  
She told the lobbyist that she'd like to see the records of one of their employees- Roxanne Morellis.  
  
"Are you a friend, or relative?" the lobbyist asked.  
  
"Relative."  
  
"Friend." Neo and Trinity spoke at once and the clerk frowned.  
  
"I'm sorry- those records are private," he said with a hint of annoyance, "But if you want to know more  
  
about Ms. Morellis, you may ask her yourselves- she's right there."  
  
They turned around and sure enough, Rev was standing in a corner of the room talking to a group of men  
  
and women. "Damn," Trinity muttered to Neo, "Don't let her see us."  
  
But it was too late- the clerk waved to her and she turned around.   
  
"Shit, shit, shit," Neo whispered it as Trinity gripped his arm.  
  
"What do we do?" She'd looked around, Rev was coming this way. Neo grabbed her wrist and pulled her  
  
behind one of the white pillars lined to the sides of the room.   
  
Rev's black high heels clicked on the marble floors as she walked over, "What is it?"  
  
"There's a gentleman and a lady here to see you."  
  
"Where?" The clerk looked around.  
  
"They were here a minute ago..."  
  
Rev frowned, "Did they leave a name?"  
  
"Uh, no."  
  
"Okay then...let me no if they come back...I guess." Her cell phone rang and she pulled it from her pocket  
  
and answered, "Hello?" Soon, she was walking off out of the building talking on her cell the whole time.   
  
Neo and Trinity emerged from their hiding place. Neo took off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket,  
  
"That went well." Trinity started out of the building. "Hey- where are you going?"  
  
She pulled out her cell phone, "Tank, get us out of here."  
  
"Already?" Neo came up behind her.  
  
Trinity covered the mouthpiece, "What else are we gonna do?"   
  
"Okay- I got one ready for you- car shop on Walnut Street."  
  
She hung up the phone and turned to Neo, "Let's start walking."  
  
Trinity opened her eyes- the room stopped spinning and her head didn't hurt anymore. But what  
  
happened after they started for the shop- she couldn't remember. 


	3. Rev

The next day- Trinity was hooked up to the machines with Neo to her left and Spark to her  
  
right.  
  
When she opened her eyes, Trinity was in a run down gas station with chipped walls and a  
  
cracked  
  
ceiling. Her clothes were different, she was wearing her trademark leather pants and Neo was  
  
wearing his trench  
  
coat- both of them had dark sunglasses. A phone was sitting on the counter beside her. Neo was  
  
walking around  
  
the room, looking at the different racks of stale food and candy. Spark appeared beside her.   
  
"Finally!" he said, "I get to come on one of the missions!" He looked around the room, "No  
  
way! Food!  
  
Real fake food!" He dashed down an aisle, eyes wide as he took in all the goods.  
  
"I wouldn't eat those..." Neo warned, "They're expired."  
  
"Yeah, by like two hundred years in real time." He tore off the wrapper of a candy bar and  
  
stuffed it in his  
  
mouth.  
  
"And he wonders why he's never invited to the Matrix," Trinity muttered. She pulled out her  
  
cell phone  
  
and dialed Tank, "How close are we to her house?" she asked.  
  
"Sorry- Not very. She lives about an hour away."  
  
"Then why the hell did you drop us here?"  
  
"This is the only place nearby where there's a phone- she's up in the mountains. There's a car in  
  
front."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud car horn.  
  
"Yeah- I have a bad feeling Neo found it." She walked outside to a lovely scene- rolling  
  
mountains sliced  
  
the sky, green trees speckled the ground, and a rusty deer crossing sign wobbled in the breeze.  
  
Ah... Amish  
  
County, PA. Neo and Spark were already in the car. Trinity walked over, black boots crunching  
  
the gravel, and  
  
rapped on the drivers side window of the black jaguar. The window rolled down slowly and Neo  
  
smiled through  
  
the opening.  
  
Trinity leaned in close, "I'm sorry baby, I love you, but there's no way I'm letting you drive."   
  
"How come?"  
  
"I've seen you drive," she opened the door slid onto his lap while Spark jumped in back,  
  
knowing better  
  
than to contradict Trinity. She moved into the passenger seat and Neo reluctantly got out and let  
  
her slide on  
  
behind the wheel.   
  
He slammed the passenger door shut, "When have you ever seen me drive?" he asked,  
  
buckling his  
  
seatbelt.   
  
"We trailed you too, Mister Black Sedan." She found the keys already in the ignition and  
  
floored it. Soon  
  
they were speeding down the empty road towards Williamsport.  
  
Neo stared out the window and watched the rolling scenery pass by. Spark was soon asleep in  
  
the back  
  
seat.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Trinity focused on the road, but watched Neo out of the corner of  
  
her eye.  
  
"Huh? Oh. Just thinking...I mean look at all these mountains- the trees- they're not real. The  
  
ground, the  
  
sky, isn't it amazing?"  
  
Trinity smiled, "I suppose. I thought you realized this a long time ago, though, Neo."  
  
"Yeah, I did." He continued to look out the window.   
  
Spark sat up in back and yawned, "Are we there yet?" No one answered. "Okay- that's a no."  
  
He  
  
stretched, "God my stomach hurts! You were right Neo- those were expired- very expired." He  
  
tousled his bright  
  
blonde hair and rubbed his blue eyes.  
  
The car pulled up in front of a small cabin- 40 Larson Avenue. Trinity turned around, "Spark,  
  
is there a  
  
briefcase back there?"  
  
"Yeah," Spark handed her a brown leather briefcase and she set it on her lap. Trinity flipped it  
  
open,  
  
revealing several small handguns. She handed one back to spark and one to Neo before taking one  
  
for herself.  
  
Spark smiled and cocked it, pretending to shoot. Neo loaded his and shoved it in his coat pocket.  
  
"You honestly think we're gonna need these?" he asked. Trinity didn't answer.   
  
The cabin looked strangely out of place- Rev had to commute to work from two hours away.  
  
Her home  
  
looked very old, a two floored small log cabin. "Secrecy," Trinity muttered.   
  
She opened the door and stepped onto the dirt driveway. "We're here."  
  
They walked up onto the porch. Three wooden chairs were against the walls. Spark knocked.  
  
After a few  
  
minutes, Neo looked over at Trinity and nodded. She kicked the door off the hinges and stepped  
  
inside. There was  
  
a fire in the fireplace and a coffee table and a few lounge chairs. On the coffee table were three  
  
computers and tons  
  
of cords. All the computer screens were blank.  
  
Spark tried to see over Neo's shoulders, then gave up. He spotted a pale face through the  
  
closed curtains of  
  
the second floor. "Hey," he said, nudging Neo in the back, "She's in the window..." But then the  
  
blinds closed and  
  
she vanished, "I think she know's were here."  
  
"Rev?" Trinity called out. Rev walked down the stairs slowly, gun in hand. "Get out of my  
  
house before I  
  
call the cops!"   
  
Neo stepped ahead of Trinity, "Rev. We've been waiting for you." There was a faint clicking  
  
sound before  
  
she fired off four shots. The bullets froze in air before Neo's face and fell to the ground with a  
  
dull thump.  
  
"Holy shit..." Rev dropped the gun, "Who the hell are you?"   
  
Neo pushed aside the bullets with his foot, "Rev, you need to understand something..."  
  
"I said, who the hell are you?!" She stumbled backwards, trying to climb up the stairs. "And  
  
how do you  
  
know that name?"  
  
"I am Neo- this is Trinity, and that is Spark." Spark stepped forward and smiled. Then he  
  
walked over to  
  
her computers and turned them on.   
  
Rev watched him carefully, "Why have I heard those names before?" Spark started working  
  
with the  
  
computers, typing furiously.   
  
Trinity put her hand on Neo's shoulder, "We're hackers, like you. But you've stumbled upon  
  
something-  
  
you've hacked too far."  
  
"You want to know the truth," Neo looked her in the eyes, "And he will show you."  
  
"Morpheus," it escaped her lips in a mere whisper.   
  
"Yes." Rev stood up slowly and walked down the stairs. She looked the three strangers up and  
  
down.  
  
"What is the matrix?"  
  
"All your questions will be answered," Trinity assured her, "But not by us. Spark- do you have  
  
a signal?"  
  
"Yeah, Trin, he'll see us at an old bed and breakfast on Front Street."   
  
"Good," she looked at Rev, "Let's go."  
  
Spark led Rev to the car. Neo was about to follow when Trinity grabbed his arm. She pulled  
  
him back and  
  
looked at him, "Do you trust her?" Neo looked around, not meeting her eyes. "Neo." Trinity  
  
turned his face so that  
  
he was staring into her eyes.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Trinity nodded, "Okay." She walked over to the car and slid in back with Rev, letting Neo  
  
drive and Spark  
  
sit across from him. She turned to Rev, who was in the back seat with her, "Undo the last two  
  
buttons of your  
  
shirt."   
  
Rev looked uneasy, "What?"   
  
Spark giggled in the front seat, "See, Trinity? That is a disturbing request!" 


	4. A Bit Upset

Rev awoke and looked around her- she was in a small, cramped room lying on a dingy cot. The walls were  
  
a pastel gray and there was a faint light flickering above her head. So it wasn't a dream.  
  
A metal door swung open and Morpheus entered, "Hello Rev. Feeling better?"  
  
She nodded weakly, embarrassed about her reaction on deck the other day. She met the crew, but had  
  
wanted to go back- back to the matrix. She'd thrown a major temper tantrum and knocked several expensive before  
  
someone stopped her- was it Neo? Yes- he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to the floor where she  
  
kicked and screamed until she passed out- which wasn't too long.   
  
Rev just couldn't take the reality- she always thought...about the matrix, but never had she dreamed of a  
  
harsher reality than the one she now faced. She looked up at Morpheus.  
  
"It's time for your training."   
  
Rev looked up- confused, "Training?"  
  
Morpheus smiled.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Trinity flicked her spoon and watched it make its way around the bowl of 'food.' She really didn't think  
  
she could hold it down today, once again, her stomach was bothering her. Neo walked into the room and sat down  
  
across from her and next to Spark.   
  
"Not hungry?" he asked her with a smile.   
  
"Nooo," Trinity didn't mean for it to come out that way, but it did.   
  
Neo frowned and Spark pushed his bowl aside, "It doesn't seem right- after eating Matrix shit, you know?  
  
I mean, going back to this...stuff- it's just...depressing."  
  
"So are you, " Trinity pushed aside her bowl also.   
  
Spark raised an eyebrow, "Okaaay- someone's in a bad mood this morning." Trinity clenched her fists  
  
under the table- there was nothing she despised more than when your in a bad mood and someone "kindly" points  
  
it out.  
  
"Sooo," Neo tried, "Where's Rev?" He regretted the words the minute they escaped his mouth. He just  
  
meant whether she was in training or not yet, but knowing how much Trinity didn't like Rev, and how she was  
  
obviously in a bad mood. he knew he'd pay for asking.   
  
"Rev? What- is she your girlfriend now? Huh?! Ever since you saw her at the office all you ever care about  
  
is Rev! Why don't you and her just go to hell! Okay, Neo?! How's that sound?!"  
  
She stood abruptly and shook the table, causing the slop to spill from the bowl. Trinity stormed out of the  
  
room and slammed the metal door behind her.  
  
"That was uncalled for," Spark muttered. Neo put his head in his hands and sighed.   
  
"What's eating her?"  
  
"Please don't mention food." Spark held his stomach, "Those candy bars are giving me hell..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Rev still felt strange- as if all of her life, she was out of her body- watching it move from outside of it, not  
  
within. But then again- that's what she'd been doing.. Tank had given her the basic training programs and a few  
  
extras she might need along the way. She was exhausted from her three hours of training and Morpheus let her go.  
  
Tank looked up, "She's strong, but Neo took ten."  
  
"Neo's different."  
  
Trinity was kicking herself for the way she snapped at Neo. Why was she so moody? Ugh! She  
  
sat on her bed and kicked the floor. Maybe I should apologize... she thought. Trinity sighed and stood up. She  
  
opened her door and stepped into the hall.   
  
  
  
Rev wandered down the halls, she had a feeling that she'd passed her room already. But it was so easy to  
  
get lost on this ship- everything looked the same. And it was very cold. She shivered in her worn gray long sleeved  
  
shirt. Her black pants had holes in the bottom. She heard laughter coming from around the corner. Spark and Neo  
  
were talking as they leaned against the wall outside the "cafeteria." Rev walked over and leaned against the wall  
  
beside Neo.  
  
"So, this is the real world?"  
  
"You get used to it."  
  
Her eyes followed his body from his dark hair to his black boots. Damn, he's fine! Just then Trinity  
  
walked over to them, but stopped short when she saw Rev and Neo talking. Trinity suddenly felt this urge to let  
  
Rev know who's boss- to stake out her territory. She fumed to see Neo talking to her- she'd show Rev...  
  
Rev watched Trinity walk over and stand in front of Neo. Suddenly, she put her hands on his face and  
  
pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss.   
  
Damn, he's taken.   
  
Spark cleared his throat loudly.   
  
Neo was slightly confused, but nonetheless glad that Trinity obviously wasn't angry anymore. He wrapped  
  
his arms around her waist and kissed her back.   
  
Rev looked over at Spark, who just shrugged.  
  
Trinity assured herself, That'll show her... 


	5. Not So Perfect Now

Rev stared into the mirror- she couldn't get over her hair- or more correctly- lack of it. She tried  
  
everything- a bandanna, a hat, it all looked..weird. She sat on her bed and pulled her knees to her chest. She felt so  
  
alone, so cold. She hated this real world- this reality.   
  
Wake me up...  
  
Everything had fallen apart before her eyes...she had the perfect life: a great job, a great life...on the  
  
outside. But she'd always go home to her computer ad search for the answers. Something had been  
  
nagging at her for a long time.   
  
Can't wake up...   
  
The Matrix- what was it? "It's all around us," Morpheus had said, "When you turn on your televison..."  
  
Rev closed her eyes.   
  
Save me...  
  
Sleep was closing in around her, like a welcomed wave, it washed over her and ran through her joints, her  
  
soul...rest at last. She thought she'd never sleep again, after all, she'd gotten all the sleep she'd ever need-  
  
twenty two years...  
  
  
  
She opened her eyes...she was outside. The sky was ashen black, thunder rolled and the sky swirled like a  
  
toppled lava lamp. The ground was charred and black with dead plants poking up, as if they'd tried to grow.  
  
Tried.   
  
A scream broke the stillness around her. Rev whirled around, there was a mass of people- worn and tired,  
  
wearing dirty rags and carrying small bundles- they looked like immigrants almost. They were running towards  
  
her and screaming- high pitched yells that split her ears and made her shiver.   
  
"What's wrong?! What's wrong?!" she asked as the people swarmed about her, nearly knocking her over.  
  
None of them answered.   
  
She recognized faces in the crowd- Neo. "Neo!" she called. He looked at her for a moment. He was  
  
wearing dark sunglasses and a black coat- like when she first saw him. He shook his head and moved on. Trinity-  
  
she was running too.   
  
"Trinity! Where is everyone going?"  
  
Trinity looked at her sadly, "Zion is falling. Zion..."  
  
Then she was gone. Lightening flashed and an enormous machine reared over the crowd. Rev screamed  
  
and dove on the ground, covering her head. Suddenly, the ground was hot, all around her fire burned. People fell  
  
dead about her, scourged bodies piled in a bloody mass.  
  
"Neo will save Zion!" a voice shouted. Morpheus? "He is the one, Trinity..."   
  
Rev woke up, gasping for breath. Her shirt stuck to her body with sweat. Glancing around the room, she  
  
saw that she was back home in the real world. Safe..for now. Wait- did I just call this home?  
  
  
  
The door swung open and Trinity appeared in the doorframe. "Hey," she said, "I brought you your  
  
breakfast." She set a tray with a bowl of goop on the floor by her bed and turned to leave.  
  
"Trinity- wait."  
  
Trinity turned around, "What?"  
  
Should she tell her about the dream? No...she had a strong feeling that Trinity didn't like her very much.  
  
"Will my hair grow back?" she decided on asking.  
  
Trinity rolled her eyes, "Not so perfect now, huh?" She closed the door behind her. 


	6. Night Shift

Morpheus stared at the computer screen, watching the small green numbers move rapidly across the  
  
screen. "There he is, Tank."  
  
Tank looked up, "When's he getting unplugged?"  
  
"Soon, be patient."  
  
"I know- but we really could use another crew member."  
  
"That's why we're unplugging Price. He's a technician. He'll help you out a lot, which means no more 24  
  
hour shifts."  
  
Tank sighed, "Thank God."   
  
"I'll get Neo, it's his turn to keep watch." Morpheus turned to go.  
  
"When will Rev start watching?"  
  
"I'll have Trinity stay with her until she's used to it."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Neo stared groggily st the screen. Numbers, numbers, numbers. He could hardly make sense of it at this  
  
hour. He yawned and closed his eyes.  
  
"Sleeping on the job?"   
  
Neo snapped awake. Trinity was standing in the doorway with one hand on her hip. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. If only  
  
Morpheus could see this." She smiled and Neo smiled back.   
  
"I'll relieve you, now. Rev's gonna help me."  
  
"Help you what? Sit around? Yeah, I definitely see how she'd help you with that," he laughed. Trinity  
  
hugged him close and whispered something in his ear.  
  
Rev watched from the doorway across from the one Trinity had entered. "Ahem." Neo and Trinity turned  
  
around quickly. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"  
  
Neo blushed, but Trinity didn't flinch, "Hey Rev. You and I are on joint duty tonight."  
  
"I know."  
  
Neo kissed Trinity goodnight and headed off to bed.   
  
Rev sat down and Trinity sat beside her. "Sooo," Rev started, "How long have you two been going out?"   
  
Trinity smiled, "Oh no, we're not going out. We're just..." she couldn't think of anything to describe it-  
  
ever since Neo had saved her life after they saved Morpheus, she knew she was in love with him. Then she said so  
  
after he died. But then that was it. They were in love, but they weren't married and they weren't dating...they just  
  
'were.'   
  
"It sure looks like your going out."  
  
"But we're not." Trinity couldn't put it more simply.   
  
"So, Neo's available?"  
  
Trinity scoffed, "No, he's not."  
  
"But you're not going out..."  
  
"Look, Rev, just drop it." She sighed and watched the monitor.  
  
"Is there anything I need to know?" Rev asked.  
  
"Do you know what a squid is?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then no."  
  
Time dragged on. Trinity rested her head on her arm and Rev leaned back in her chair. Two hours seemed  
  
to last forever. Finally, near the end of their shift, Rev spoke again, "Trinity," she said, "Can I ask you  
  
something?"  
  
"What?" she said, annoyed.  
  
"I had this dream..."  
  
"You mean your life?"  
  
"No, a real dream...I think."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Where's Zion?"  
  
"Zion?" Trinity sat up.  
  
"Yeah...I had this dream..."  
  
"How do you know about Zion?"  
  
"I told you- my dream. You were there- and you said Zion was falling. And Morpheus- he said that Neo  
  
was The One...wait a minute- at my house- my old house- when I tried to shoot you, how' d he do that?"  
  
The door swung open and Spark walked in and stretched. "Hey," he said with a yawn. "I've come to  
  
deliver you." He smiled, his blue eyes sparkling, "My turn."  
  
Trinity stared blankly at Rev.  
  
"Um..." Spark looked at the two women, "Hello? I've come to relieve you?"  
  
"Right." Trinity stood up, "Night Rev. Night Spark."  
  
She brushed past him.  
  
"Hey," he called after her, "No goodnight kiss? Neo gets more than that each day!"  
  
Trinity raised her middle finger as she left and Spark smiled.   
  
Rev laughed and stood up, "How long have you been trying?" she asked.  
  
Spark sighed, still smiling,"Too long, Rev, too long." 


	7. Neo Teaches a Lesson

Trinity knocked on Neo's door the next morning. "Yeah?" came the muffled reply. The hinges squeaked as Trinity  
  
swung open the big metal door. Neo looked up from tying his shoes, "Hey Trin. What's up?"  
  
"I was just wondering wether we're gonna check out Price today."  
  
Neo frowned, "Actually, I was thinking maybe we should just...get him. You know?"  
  
Trinity sat down on the bed beside him, "You mean without checking him out?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Isn't that...risky?"  
  
Neo sat up, "Well, when has following someone ever worked? I mean- when has it ever accomplished anything?"  
  
Trinity smiled, "We accomplished a lot following you."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, "Nothing. I just think we should check this guy out before we make him  
  
an official member of the Real World."   
  
"I know, but we've watched him on the Matrix tons of times."   
  
"That was just a little number moving up and down on a screen, Neo."  
  
"How much different could it be?"  
  
Trinity sighed. "Your right...I guess. We'll have it your way." She stood and left the room, closing the door behind  
  
her. She just couldn't shake off this feeling she had....  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So," Spark was saying at the breakfast table, "If you have a dream in the Matrix, what's it called? I mean, if the  
  
Matrix is a dream, then the dream in the dream is like- a double dream. You know what I'm saying?"   
  
Trinity stared at him. "Okay, you're a computer genius?"  
  
Spark smiled, "What, you thought I was all brawn and no brain?"  
  
Neo laughed from across the table.  
  
"What's so funny, Neo? You don't think I could kick your ass?"  
  
Morpheus and Rev watched, interested.   
  
"Not even in your dreams, Spark! Or your double dreams for that matter." He smiled.   
  
"Anytime, Neo, anytime!"   
  
Trinity laughed, "How bout now, Spark?"  
  
"Now? You mean, right now?"  
  
"What's the matter," Neo taunted jokingly, "Are you scared?"  
  
"No. I can take you on any day, Anderson. Let's go!" They stood from the table and left, headed for the  
  
control deck.   
  
"Wait, what's happening?" Rev stood up and followed Trinity.  
  
"They're fighting...again."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"In the Matrix."  
  
Spark sat in the chair beside Neo and gripped the armrests, "You're going down!" He smiled broadly.   
  
"We'll see about that!"   
  
Rev, Morpheus, and Trinity gathered around Tank, watching the monitors intently.   
  
"Spark never gives up," Trinity murmured.  
  
Rev glanced over at her, but Trinity didn't take her eyes off the computer screen. Tank typed rapidly on  
  
the keyboard and brought up something that looked to Rev like a computer game. She was staring at a black and  
  
white sparring room. Neo and Spark were...in it. She watched closely as Tank laughed, "Spark has no idea what  
  
he's getting into!"  
  
Spark faced Neo- they were both dressed in white robes, just like when he'd fought Morpheus- and lost.  
  
He jumped and down and rubbed his hands together. Neo outstretched his palm and beckoned to him, "Bring it."  
  
Spark dashed forward and swung his fists madly. All he hit were Neo's elbows as he passively raised an  
  
arm and blocked every blow. It was like swatting a nat, none of his blows landed. Neo caught his arm and twisted  
  
it, then kicked him in the stomach, sending Spark flying across the room.  
  
Rev watched, "How is moving so fast?"  
  
"He's going easy on him..." Trinity whispered.   
  
Spark pulled himself to his feet and charged once more. Neo smiled as Spark kicked, hit, and jabbed  
  
unsuccessfully. Spark back flipped into the air and seemed to hang there for a moment. He lifted his knee and fell,  
  
but Neo casually stepped aside and Spark smashed his knee into the ground, instead of Neo. He moaned in pain.   
  
Neo reached out his hand and pulled him to his feet. Spark, thinking he'd tricked him, tried to knee him  
  
in the stomach, but Neo grabbed his shoulders and heat butted him into the wall. "Just give up, Spark," he smiled,  
  
"Aren't you tired?"  
  
"One more try." Spark climbed to his feet and folded his arms.  
  
  
  
Morpheus smiled as he watched Neo kick Spark's ass, "I don't think I can watch anymore," he laughed,  
  
"I'll be in the control room." He left. Neo was simply a blur on the screen, he was moving so fast.  
  
Rev watched the monitor carefully. It was so strange to see Neo and Spark on the monitor, moving about  
  
and leaping into the air, while their bodies sat in front of her, eyes closed, looking so peaceful. Doubt crept into her  
  
mind- this whole thing seemed so unreal- like a dream.  
  
Trinity seemed to read her mind, "I know how you feel," she said softly, "I used to keep expecting to wake  
  
up any second, it seemed so impossible. So unreal."  
  
"What?" Rev wasn't sure wether she meant the computer program, or the world in general.  
  
"This, this....truth. This Real World. I didn't believe at first. Do you?"  
  
Rev stared again at the monitor, "I'm starting to."  
  
Spark opened his eyes, "Oh, God. Man, that hurt!" He sat up painfully. Trinity watched him- he reminded  
  
her so much of Mouse. She lowered her eyes. "Jeez, Neo!"  
  
Neo sat up, "Kick my ass? Oh, yeah..."   
  
"Wait!" Rev walked forward, "I wanna fight you." All eyes turned to her.   
  
Neo raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"  
  
"I wanna fight you."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Spark stood up, "Knock yourself out Princess. Really. It'll probably happen."   
  
Rev sat down and tried to make herself comfortable. She had no idea what had made her say that. Why  
  
did she want to fight Neo? Trinity had said he was going easy on Spark, and Spark didn't look too good when he  
  
came out of the matrix. She heard Tank moving around behind her. Suddenly, she felt extreme pain- but only for a  
  
second.   
  
When she opened her eyes, she was in the same room she had seen on the monitor- only in color. There  
  
were thin banners hanging from the wall with Japanese inscriptions. The floor was yellow and the ceiling wood.  
  
Rev looked down, she was wearing a white robe- a bit dirty. Neo was about ten feet away from her, dressed  
  
likewise. Her long blonde hair was in a bun on the top of her head. That's right- her long blonde hair. She missed  
  
the Matrix.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Neo asked her.  
  
"No turning back now, at least without looking like a complete idiot." She crossed her arms and held  
  
them palms up inches in front of her face. Neo nodded his head slightly and took a fighting stance. Rev swung  
  
back her arms and ran towards Neo. She pulled back her arm, but his was already up. Everywhere she swung was  
  
protected- every punch she threw was blocked. Now she knew how Spark felt- completely and utterly weak. She  
  
tried to drive her foot into his leg, but his other just brushed her off.   
  
Neo crossed his arms and flung her backwards, like a lineman shaking off a defensive player as he ran in  
  
for the touchdown. Rev landed on her back. She breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. "Holy shit," she  
  
managed.   
  
Neo walked over and pulled her up, "Concentrate, Rev. Stop trying to hit me in the same place."  
  
She nodded, her face was so close to his, she could see into his dark brown eyes, his hair gently falling  
  
over them, "You're not going easy on me, are you?" she asked breathlessly, and she had a feeling it wasn't from  
  
her weariness.   
  
Trinity turned on her heel and left, closing the door behind her. Let Rev and Neo hang out in the Matrix.  
  
What did she care? It's not like it's real... 


	8. It's A Trap!

Neo opened Trinity's door without knocking- he never did. "Trin?" He found her curled up on her bed,  
  
hugging her knees. He couldn't tell if she was crying...  
  
She put her feet down and Neo sat beside her. He breathed a sigh of relief: she wasn't crying, Trinity  
  
wasn't like that. "We have to go get Price."  
  
"Are you sure there's still time?"  
  
Neo looked confused.  
  
"I mean, after all, you did spend the entire morning with Rev, remember?"  
  
Neo sighed, "So that's what you've been so angry about?"  
  
"No, actually. If you paid more attention, maybe you'd notice that."  
  
"Well, then what are you so pissed about?"  
  
She sighed and stood up, "Nothing, Neo, forget it. You wouldn't understand." She started to leave, but  
  
Neo stopped her.  
  
"Wait Trinity." She turned around. "What is it that I don't understand?"  
  
Trinity sighed and walked over to him, "It's just that- I haven't been feeling very good lately, ever since  
  
we followed Rev downtown and I was thinking maybe-"  
  
She was interrupted by Spark, "Hey, come on. We're leaving." He headed back down the door.  
  
"Coming?" Neo asked Trinity.  
  
"Yeah..I guess."  
  
~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Neo, Trinity, Rev, and Spark were all "sleeping" in their chairs. When they opened their eyes, they were  
  
in different clothes, Rev had her hair back("Thank God."), and they were in a hotel room in New York City. Green  
  
wallpaper was peeling of yellow walls and the limoneum floor was cracked in several places.  
  
"I take it this hotel is closed," Spark muttered. "Ow!" He clutched his arm in pain, "Man Neo, I'm still  
  
feeling that!"  
  
"Sorry..."  
  
Rev looked down at her clothes, she was wearing a black leather dress with a long dark coat. Spark was  
  
wearing a white button up shirt and black pants and a coat just like her. Neo and Trinity were dressed just the way  
  
they were when she met them. It was like having Matrix uniforms.   
  
"So," Rev said, "We just grab this guy like you grabbed me?"  
  
The phone rang. "That's the plan," Neo stepped forward and answered it, "We're in." He hung up, "Let's  
  
go." They opened the door and stepped out into a dim hall. "204- that's pretty odd."  
  
"What?" Rev jogged to keep up with his stride. Trinity walked beside him and Spark behind.  
  
"He lives in a rundown hotel."  
  
Trinity glanced around, "Something's not right." she stopped short. Neo peered through his dark  
  
sunglasses at the door.   
  
Spark looked at Trinity, "Trin?"  
  
Neo put his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly...  
  
"It's a trap," Trinity whispered, as if she'd just had a revelation. She lunged forward, "Neo- no!"  
  
But it was too late, he swung open the door and stepped inside. The room had a small window in the very  
  
back with tattered green curtains blowing gently in the breeze. CLICK. Someone had taken the safety off a gun.  
  
Then, CLICK CLICK CLICK, several other guns were cocked at loaded, all pointing directly at Neo's head.  
  
He glanced left, right. Neo swung his leg and knocked a gun out of an agents hand, but thirty more moved  
  
in around him. Spark grabbed Rev by the hand, "Get outta here!" he threw her his cell phone and shoved her down  
  
the hall. He pulled out his gun, twirled it, and threw it to Trinity.   
  
Neo could barely move around the bodies in the cramped room. He dropped down swung his legs like a  
  
gymnast on a vault and sent seven agents flying backwards through the air. They crashed into other agents and  
  
slammed into the wall. There was a problem with the agents plan: the room was too small to move about in, giving  
  
them a disadvantage. Trinity jumped into the action, firing off her gun like mad, knowing she wouldn't hit Neo.   
  
Rev ran to the elevator and pushed random buttons at once. "Wait!" a voice called. Spark ran down the  
  
hall and Rev held open the elevator door. He jumped in and collapsed on the ground. Rev got on her knees beside  
  
him.  
  
"Spark, what happened?" She put her hand on his side, and when she drew it away, it was covered in  
  
blood. "You've been shot?"  
  
"Press G, ground. Hurry!" He was breathing hard and gasping for breath. Rev crawled over and pressed  
  
G. "Help me up," Spark ordered. Rev out his arm around her shoulders and pulled him to his feet. "Okay- we have  
  
to get outside and across the street. Trin and Neo are gonna jump. We have to be ready for them with a car. Call  
  
Tank." 


	9. Get Me Outta Here!

Inside Room 204, Trinity and Neo were doing their best to fight off the agents. It seemed hopeless, but  
  
they couldn't leave until they got the signal. Amid the fighting it came: Trinity's cell phone rang. She didn't have  
  
to answer it, she just need to hear it. "Neo!" she shouted, "Get out!" Neo kicked an agent through the wall and into  
  
the next room, then took a running start before leaping through the window out the tenth story window. The  
  
ground seemed miles away as he soared above it. The building was coming closer, closer. SMASH! He landed on  
  
the roof, crashing through a door and rolled down the stairs of the top floor of the building across from the old  
  
hotel. He stopped where the stairs turned. Moments later, Trinity landed on top of him.   
  
"Sorry," she said quickly, pulling him to his feet. They took off down the stairs, but it seemed to take  
  
forever. Neo swung himself over the railing and fell down down down, crashing through the flimsy wooden steps  
  
at the bottom, but landing on his feet.   
  
"Trinity!" No answer. "TRINITY!" Still no answer. Neo ran back up the stairs. There goes his shortcut.  
  
He had made it two flights up before the stairs gave way to his weight and collapsed. He coughed as dust flew  
  
everywhere. Neo had no idea where he was.   
  
Trinity watched Neo disappear as he took a shortcut down the flights of stairs. Her cell phone rang again,  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Trinity, me and Rev have a car out front of the building. Hurry- those agents aren't dead."  
  
She closed the phone, "Neo!" she shouted. Her voice echoed through the empty stairwell. She ran down  
  
the stairs as fast as she could, but stopped halfway. A hole five feet wide lay before her. A piece of the stairway had  
  
collapsed. She knew if she jumped, she'd make it, but fall thorough the stairs beyond the jump. "Tank," she said  
  
after dialing her cell, "I need an exit."  
  
"Uh..go back onto the roof, there's a fire escape, though it may take time."  
  
"Do you have a signal on Neo?"  
  
"Yeah, he's somewhere in the building."  
  
"Oh, that helps," Trinity said sarcastically. "I'm outta here- tell Spark I'm on my way." She closed her  
  
cell and ran carefully back up the flimsy stairs to the roof. She was greeted by a warm breeze and a blast of fresh  
  
air- not real. Trinity scanned the rooftop. Bingo- the fire escape. She was getting to like using them.   
  
Neo stood up and brushed himself off. He looked around- it appeared as if he was in some sort of  
  
basement. "Okay, okay, there's a way out, there always is." He rubbed his hands together and started searching the  
  
room. He wasn't claustrophobic, but he was beginning to feel that way. The room seemed to grow smaller and  
  
smaller and darker and darker. He ran about, knocking over boxes and stacked newspapers, trying to find an exit.  
  
He stumbled backwards over a pile of books and crashed into a shelf, which toppled over with a loud BANG. Neo  
  
stood up painfully and rubbed his back. But what was that? Light? He climbed up the tipped shelf and found a  
  
small window, which he easily shattered with his elbow. He pushed back the glass and crawled through- back on  
  
the streets of New York.   
  
  
  
Rev and Spark were waiting in the car. Spark anxiously drummed his fingers on the wheel, "Come on,  
  
come on. Where are they?"  
  
His phone rang in Rev's pocket and she answered, "Hello?"  
  
"Rev, its Tank. Trinity's on Davis Street. She'll be there at the intersection of Davis and Levan. Go get  
  
her."   
  
"Right," she hung up and put the cell on the dashboard."Trinity's on Davis Street, let's go."   
  
"What about Neo?"  
  
"I assume he's with her- they're pretty much inseparable."  
  
Spark pulled out and speeded towards Levan. Rev watched out the window for Trinity, but instead saw  
  
agents. "We have a problem, Spark, they're in the crowd."  
  
"Trinity?"  
  
"No, the agents. How' d they get outside so fast?"  
  
Spark floored it and screeched to a halt in a narrow alleyway, where Trinity dropped from the last rung of  
  
the fire escape. She swung open the car door and slid into the back seat, "Where's Neo?"  
  
"Isn't he with you?" Spark pulled out, knocking over trash cans and running over cardboard boxes.   
  
"No. I lost him in the stairwell."  
  
Spark pulled out into the streets and began driving, "Wait- I see him, coming up behind us."  
  
Trinity turned around and looked out the back window. Neo was running after the vehicle at an amazing  
  
speed, his coat flying out behind him and four agents right on his tail. It didn't take him long to catch up. Trinity  
  
swung open the car door and Neo grabbed onto it. Not once did Spark stop the car. Neo put one foot inside, then  
  
the other, then closed the door. "Whew. Why' d you leave without me there, Spark? Not still grudging, are you?"  
  
"Even I wouldn't hold a grudge over your life, buddy."  
  
"Huh?" Neo turned around and looked out the window where four agents stopped in the middle of the  
  
street and watched the car fade out of sight.  
  
"There's an exit on South Street," Trinity informed him.  
  
Rev stared out the window, "I take it there's no Price."  
  
Spark turned a sharp left on two wheels and nearly crashed into another car.  
  
"Jesus, Spark!" Neo grabbed the door handle, "Do you even have a license?"  
  
"You have to be seventeen to get a license in California!" He reared right and swerved a telephone pole.  
  
"Well how old are you?" Rev asked, trying not to throw up.  
  
"Seventeen..." Spark held the wheel with one hand and buckled his seat belt.   
  
"Well then why don't you have your license?!"  
  
"They pulled me outta the Matrix when I was sixteen, Okay?!" He jerked the wheel left, sending his cell  
  
phone flying under the seat. Trinity stared out the windshield. An old woman was crossing the street a block away-  
  
Spark was reaching for his phone, he didn't see her.  
  
"Spark, look out!" She reached forward and several things happened at once: Neo leaned against the door  
  
and tripped the handle, swinging the door open; The cell phone rang; and Trinity jerked the wheel left, sending  
  
Neo out of the car, Rev onto Spark, and the car crashing into a brick wall. 


	10. Fire and Cars

Neo hit the ground and rolled for a few feet. A telephone pole stopped him from winding up in the middle  
  
of an intersection. He sat up painfully, rubbed his back, and discarded his broken sunglasses. He saw the car,  
  
scrunched against a wall, smoke coming from the hood. "Trinity..." he whispered. Neo jumped to his feet and  
  
dashed for the car "Get out! Get out of the car!"   
  
  
  
"Ooww, get off me!" Spark pushed Rev off of him and kicked open his door. He crawled out of the car,  
  
Rev behind him. Standing up and brushing himself off, he stared at the smoking engine.   
  
"Hey," Rev stood up beside him, "How' d Neo get over there?" She pointed, where Neo was running  
  
towards them, arms waving. Trinity pulled herself out of the wreckage.  
  
"Get away form the car!" Neo shouted.  
  
"WHAT?!" Spark shouted back.  
  
Trinity frowned, "He said get away from the- oh God," she stopped short. Trinity shoved Spark and  
  
grabbed Rev by the arm, "Run!"   
  
They ran, and as they did, time nearly stopped, Trinity felt as if she were out of her body, watching the  
  
scene from somewhere else. Behind her, she heard a faint ticking sound- the engine. They were only about ten feet  
  
form the car. She counted the seconds: three, two, one...BOOM! Flames erupted from the engine, propelling the  
  
car off the ground and into the air. Black fumes poured out and onto the streets. Her heels were burning...FIRE!  
  
The fire was right behind her! Right on top of her! Trinity released Rev's arm and dove on the ground, shielding  
  
her head with her hands. The pavement rose up to greet her as she landed flat on her face. Smoke engulfed her  
  
body, clogging her throat with an ashen filth.   
  
"Trinity!" Neo ran towards the woman he loved- only one street stood in his way, one very busy street. He  
  
had to get to Trinity, nothing could stop him from getting to her. WHAM! Except for red station wagons.   
  
Neo rolled off the hood of the speeding car and landed on the solid concrete. He could feel blood from his  
  
mouth dripping down his cheek as he lay on his side. Pain seared through his body as he tried to sit up with no  
  
luck. Neo collapsed back onto the ground. Every bone in his body seemed to be broken.   
  
A car door slammed and boots punished the streets. They stopped in front of his face and Neo recognized  
  
the polished shoe. "Hello Mr. Anderson."   
  
Rev staggered and coughed amid the smoke. "Trinity? Spark?" she called out.   
  
"Rev?" a weak voice answered.   
  
"Spark!" Rev called, "Where are you?" She fell to her knees and crawled for what seemed like hours.  
  
Finally, she came down on something soft.  
  
"Ow! You just punched me in the stomach!"  
  
"Spark! Man am I glad to see you. Or- hear you. I can't exactly see you."  
  
"Who the hell cares? Just help me get outta here!" She felt his hand clasp hers and she stood up and  
  
pulled him to his feet. "Okay- we *cough* have to go away *cough* from the car." Rev could hear the flames  
  
devouring the vehicle behind her. She felt herself being pulled away from the heat and finally out into open air.  
  
She breathed in deep. Spark was doubled over, holding his stomach, coughing. Rev went over to him and put her  
  
hand on his back.  
  
"Where's Trinity?" she asked gently.   
  
"I...dunno,:" he managed, "Where's...Neo?"   
  
"Oh God," Rev looked past the smoke and across the street where she saw an agent behind a red car,  
  
standing over something, or someone. Oh no. Neo. "It's an agent! What do we do?"  
  
Trinity lay on the ground, barley able to breathe. Police sirens whined in the background. Suddenly,  
  
powerful arms lifted her up. She felt herself being slung over somebody's shoulder- Neo? No, she knew his touch.  
  
A policeman? This shoulder was hard and cold. Pictures blurred around her, everything seemed black. Her eyes  
  
rolled to the back of her head and she slipped into unconsciousness.   
  
  
  
Rev watched Spark move in after he told her to stay behind. She quietly slipped out of the car and closed  
  
the door silently. Rev looked around for the trash can, hoping Spark hadn't knocked it over. She found it just  
  
where she was told it would be. Opening the lid, she discovered a small metal purse like thing. She opened it up  
  
and found a small white pill. Rev put it in her mouth and swallowed hard. There- her job was done.   
  
Neo spat blood onto the streets and rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky, so blue, so...calm. This  
  
wasn't supposed to hurt this much...He remembered seeing the same sky a while back, as he was riding with  
  
Trinity. It all seemed so long ago. His cell phone rang and the sky was blocked out as the agent bent over him and  
  
removed it from his pocket. "I'm sorry," he answered, "Mr. Anderson is not available at the moment, please call  
  
back at a more...convenient time." He slammed it shut and threw it to the side. The phone skittered across the  
  
pavement and stopped at Spark's foot. Not noticing, the agent reached down his arm and pulled Neo up by his  
  
hair. Neo wobbled on his feet and nearly fell. Mr. Smith looked him face to face, "I won't lose this time." He drew  
  
out his gun and put it to Neo's forehead.   
  
Spark drew out his gun slowly and aimed carefully.   
  
Just like training, he assured himself, just like training. But shooting a gun at a person was different then  
  
shooting a gun in a training program. But he had to remind himself, an agent wasn't a person. An agent is a  
  
machine.   
  
Mr. Smith stared Neo in the eyes, "Live after this," he sneered.   
  
"I. Will."  
  
Spark fired. The gun barrel launched backwards and the clip fell the ground. Mr. Smith did too. Neo  
  
toppled onto the car, holding on to it for dear life. Rev dashed over to him and put her arms around him. Spark  
  
dropped the gun, shocked that he'd actually done it.  
  
"Neo, are you okay, Neo?" Rev tried to see his face, but Neo had his head pressed against the hood of the  
  
car, breathing hard. After a moment, he raised his head, wiping blood from his fasce.  
  
"Where's Trinity?"  
  
  
  



	11. You Have to Wait

"Tank?" Spark was glad to see that at least Neo had kept his phone for once, "We need to get outta here."  
  
"Okay, there's a phone booth, like, a few feet away from you."  
  
"Do you know where Trinity is?"  
  
"Actually...yeah. We believe an agent has her."  
  
"What?!" Spark tried to keep his voice low, not wanting Neo to hear. "An agent?"  
  
"We don't know where their taking her- what the hell happened? I guess Price is a no-show?"  
  
"He's a no-exist, actually. But you don't know where their taking her?"  
  
Neo overheard and snatched the cell phone from Spark, "Tank- IS he talking about Trinity? Where the  
  
hell is she? Who's taking her?"  
  
"Neo, put Spark back on."   
  
Spark grabbed for the phone but Neo easily kept him at bay, swatting away his hand.   
  
"Not until you tell me where she is."  
  
"We don't know, Neo. An agent took her."  
  
"Dammit," Neo muttered. Spark grabbed the phone.  
  
"You have to come back now," Tank said, "You got four agents coming in- not to mention you'll have to  
  
deal with the police."  
  
"What about Trin?"  
  
"We can't do anything until we know where she is, come back!"   
  
Spark hung up, "Let's go."  
  
"What? Where?"  
  
Rev looked between the two of them.  
  
"Home, Neo."  
  
"But Trinity's still here somewhere- they couldn't have gone far."  
  
"We don't know that, though. There's the phone booth. C'mon." Spark grabbed Neo's wrist and dragged  
  
him towards the phone.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere without Trinity!"  
  
"Yes, you are! Rev? A little help?"   
  
Rev grabbed Neo's other wrist and pulled, "Come one Neo!"  
  
They dragged him to the phone booth where the phone was already ringing. "Let go!" Neo tried to break  
  
free, but didn't really want to hurt them.  
  
Spark shoved Neo into the booth and Rev held him down while he put the receiver to his ear. In moments,  
  
Neo had vanished. Rev gasped, "Oh my God."  
  
"You next," Spark hung up the phone.  
  
Neo opened his eyes, back in the real world. He sat up, "Send me back Tank! Now!"   
  
Tank shook his head, "No. Your not just gonna fly around the Matrix until you find her, Neo. You have to  
  
wait!" Morpheus entered.  
  
"Morpheus!" Neo pleaded, "Make Tank send me back- I have to get Trinity!"   
  
Rev awoke with a start two seats down. She looked to her side where Spark and Trinity were sleeping  
  
peacefully.   
  
"No, Neo. You need a plan before you just barge in there and-"  
  
"Plan my ass, that's Trinity in there!"   
  
"I know how you feel about her, but that's no reason to go into the Matrix unprepared!"  
  
"I'd take on a hundred agents to save her, you know that! Why don't you guys want to do anything to get  
  
her back?!"   
  
Spark awoke.  
  
Morpheus put his hand on Neo's shoulder to calm him, "We're only thinking of her safety. Perhaps you  
  
should, too. What do you think's gonna happen when you find Trinity? Do you think they'll hand her over once  
  
you prove you're The One? Or do you think they'll just kill her? I'm sorry, Neo, for being so blunt," Morpheus  
  
apologized, seeing the horrified look on Neo's face, "But it's the truth; and if it stops you from getting Trinity or  
  
yourself killed, then I think you need to hear it."  
  
Neo glared at Morpheus. 


	12. Im Not Allowed to Love Him

Late that night, Rev pushed the door to the control deck open slowly. All was dark inside except for the  
  
faint glow of the monitors and a sliver of light from where she opened the door. The light fell on a dark figure  
  
kneeling beside the chair where Trinity slept. She knew he'd be here...  
  
Neo had is arm on Trinity's and his head rested on the armrest. He was sleeping as he knelt. Rev's heart  
  
ached for him. She tried to imagine the pain he must be in, not only physical, after being hit by a car, but  
  
emotional. He loved Trinity so much. Rev stepped inside and closed the door behind her.   
  
She walked quietly over to where Neo slept, maneuvering her way around the computers. She felt torn-  
  
now she knew how deeply Neo cared for Trinity. They were in love, and ever since she had gotten here, Rev had  
  
been jealous. She wanted Neo to herself, she wanted him and Trinity to be apart, and now they were. But it had  
  
crushed Neo- he was no longer the way he used to be...he wasn't the same...  
  
She realized that he and Trinity had sort of lived off of each other. Each were the reason the other awoke  
  
every morning. Fool, Rev told herself, how could I try to break that? Why would I want to?  
  
"I can't believe she's trapped," Neo whispered. Rev was startled- she though he was asleep. "She can  
  
usually take care of herself, I mean. This has never happened before." He looked up at her, and even in the  
  
blackness, Rev could see the pain in his dark eyes. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting,  
  
something that' d make him stop hurting. No, Rev, she thought, you've done enough for one day. No words came  
  
out.   
  
"I can't help thinking it's all my fault," Neo continued, looking down at Trinity and lovingly stoking her  
  
hair.   
  
"Don't say that, Neo." Rev walked over and crouched on the other side of the chair.  
  
"No, it's true. She told me we should've checked Price out- but I said no, I said it was pointless.  
  
Jesus...She wanted to tell me something to me. She said it was important...I wonder what it was..."  
  
"I know," Rev looked down.   
  
"What?"  
  
"She told me, a while back. But she didn't want you to know...not yet, anyway."  
  
Neo looked up, "Please tell me, Rev, please. She wanted to do it herself, but she couldn't. You have to tell  
  
me!"  
  
"Well....a week or so ago, she was in the bathroom...throwing up."  
  
Neo looked confused, "And....?"  
  
"And what? Don't you know what it means when a woman is throwing up?!"  
  
"Oh God..." Neo looked scared almost, "She's pregnant?!"  
  
Rev nodded.   
  
He put his head in his hands, "It's all my fault..."  
  
"No Neo, I'm afraid it's not."  
  
Neo froze, "What?" he whispered.  
  
"She thinks...maybe..."  
  
"What?" Neo looked so hurt.   
  
"She was raped, Neo."  
  
"How the hell-"  
  
"She said it was at the club, when you found her."  
  
Neo put his head on Trinity's arm and sat very still. After a while, he looked back up, "You know, she  
  
knew about the trap. Somehow..."  
  
Rev swallowed.  
  
"Trinity knew." Neo stood up and paced around the room, his hand trailing on the arm rest, "She sensed  
  
it. She said it was a trap..." He stopped, "I gotta get her back, Rev!"  
  
"I want to see her again too, Neo, but no one even knows where she is!" Rev wrapped her arms around his  
  
shoulders, taking advantage of the moment, "Why don't you go to bed? If you want to get her back, you'll need  
  
your strength." Neo turned around and their noses nearly touched. Rev stopped breathing... "Neo..." The only  
  
sound was the gentle humming of the monitors and Neo's steady breathing. Rev wondered if he noticed she  
  
wasn't...She wanted to press her lips against his, to embrace him, to love him. But it wasn't right, in the presence  
  
of Trinity. So she stood motionless, so close to him...  
  
"You're right," Neo whispered, "I do need some sleep." He brushed past her and swung open the door,  
  
stepping into the hallway, "Goodnight, Rev." He closed it behind him and the room fell dark.   
  
I can't have him...Rev collapsed onto the ground and sobbed. This is why it must be done, she told herself,  
  
this is why. 


	13. A Traitor

Neo didn't sleep that night. He couldn't. Dreams haunted his sleep...he dreamed of all the terrible things  
  
they could be doing to Trinity- right now. Because no one would let him help her.   
  
There was a knock on the door.   
  
"Come in," Neo said, assuming it'd be Morpheus. But it wasn't- it was Spark, much to Neo's surprise.  
  
"Hey, Spark, what's up?"   
  
"Nothing," Spark stood uncomfortably in the doorway, "Are you okay? I mean, I'm really sorry about  
  
Trinity. I feel like there was something I could've done."  
  
"No, there wasn't anything anyone could've done."  
  
"I thought you didn't believe in fate?"  
  
"I don't."  
  
"Oh," Spark nervously cleared his throat, "Well, this is my last week on the ship, did you hear?"  
  
Neo sat up, "No. How come?"  
  
"Well, I need to finish my training back at Zion, so they're transferring me to another ship."  
  
"You're going to Zion?"  
  
"Guess so. Any idea what it's like?" Spark ran his hands through his messy blonde hair and gave Neo a  
  
questioning look.  
  
"Not a clue, sorry," Neo shrugged, "Though I hear it's pretty great. Big. You know?"  
  
"Yeah, I get what your saying...kinda. I'm sorry about Trinity."  
  
"Yeah, I just can't sleep not knowing wether she's okay or not."  
  
Spark nodded silently. After a moment, he looked up, "Say, you notice anything weird about Rev, lately?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, like, she's been acting strange...she offered to take on both our shifts tonight. It makes me  
  
wonder why she wants to be around those computers all the time."  
  
"You don' t think-"  
  
Spark read his thoughts and quickly interrupted him, "No! No, nothing like that. I mean...she wouldn't  
  
be...setting us up."  
  
"I know. I just can't shake off this feeling that what happened today wasn't an accident."  
  
"Fate again?" Spark asked.  
  
"No," Neo replied, "Planned." The room fell silent, "Damn, I do need sleep. I'm starting to consider  
  
conspiracies."   
  
Spark laughed awkwardly, "Well, sorry about Trinity."  
  
"Sorry you're leaving."  
  
"Yeah..me too." He closed the door behind him and Neo laid back down on the gritty mattress: only four  
  
people left. He'd miss Spark's lively presence onboard. He almost envied Spark- Neo had always wanted to see  
  
Zion.  
  
He remembered what Tank had said: "If you live long enough, you might even get to see it." He lay there  
  
and waited for morning to come.  
  
  
  
It seemed like an eternity before Tank rapped sharply on his door.  
  
"Get up, Neo."  
  
Neo shot out of bed and swung open the door, dashing ahead of Tank. He rant to the control deck and  
  
watched the monitors. "Where is she? Can you find her?"   
  
Tank gently pushed him aside and sat down, "Not until they contact us."  
  
"What if they don't?"  
  
"Trust me," Morpheus appeared behind them, "They will."  
  
"And what do we do until then?"  
  
"Wait...I guess," Tank said, "Why don't you eat some breakfast?"  
  
"Eat?! Trinity's life is at stake and you want me to eat breakfast!?"  
  
They were interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Neo picked it up immediately. Morpheus frowned, "No  
  
one know's this number..."  
  
"Hello?!"  
  
"Mr. Anderson. So glad to hear your voice."  
  
"Let me speak to Trinity."  
  
There was a pause, then Trinity's voice came over the line "Neo?"  
  
"Trinity," Neo sighed with relief, "Are you okay?"   
  
"Yes, Neo. But you won't be, there's a traitor there! You have to-"  
  
She was cut off and an agents voice came over the line, "That's enough chit chat for now. Let's talk again  
  
later."  
  
"Wait!"  
  
The line switched to a dull dial tone. "Dammit! Did you trace it, Tank?"  
  
"Sorry- it wasn't long enough."  
  
"Shit!" Neo slammed his fist on the table, then looked up at Morpheus.  
  
"Who gave them this number?" Morpheus asked. The room fell silent.  
  
"There's a traitor..." Neo said quietly, "Someone betrayed us!"   
  
Rev stepped into the room, holding a gun in hand, "They said you'd figure it out fairly soon..."  
  
All eyes turned to her.   
  
"Rev...it's you?" Neo was shocked to discover he wasn't surprised, "Trinity knew..."  
  
Rev looked afraid, "Why do you think I'm doing this Neo? They said I wouldn't be found out, I swear,  
  
Neo, things weren't supposed to happen like this...I was supposed to go with you, then I wouldn't be holding a  
  
gun, and no one would have to die."  
  
"No one does have to die, Rev, just give me the gun." Morpheus walked forward slowly. Tank reached  
  
under the table slowly and removed a shotgun.  
  
"I Don't think you take me seriously!" Rev fired. Morpheus ducked and Neo jerked his head tot he left as  
  
a bullet whizzed past his face. Tank fell onto the keyboard, a bullet through his head.  
  
  
  



	14. Phone Call and Demands

Trinity watched as the agent hung up the phone. "We'll wait for her to do her job," he said to the two men  
  
with the white dreadlocks. They nodded in unison. "You understand, right? That she's..expendable."   
  
"Of course," one answered. He walked over and knelt beside Trinity, who was kneeling on the ground  
  
with her hands tied behind her back, her feet bound, and her mouth gagged. The second twin had a gun touching  
  
the back of her head. "And her?" One asked, stroking Trinity's hair, "Is she expendable?"  
  
"Not yet," the agent said solemnly, "We need her alive...for now. Mr. Anderson won't cooperate unless he  
  
knows she's alive." He glanced at his watch. "I suppose they've figured it out by now," he said. "I've learned not to  
  
underestimate them too much. Now exiles and agents have never quite worked together, and I thank you for all you  
  
have done, gentlemen, but I'm afraid your work is over. I am no longer in need of your services- you seem, with  
  
the girl as bait, The One can't possibly resist coming to her rescue..."  
  
"You don't plan on making the original trade?" One asked.  
  
"Of course not. Like I said, she's expendable."   
  
One slowly slipped his gun out of his pocket, his eyes focused on the agent. He drew quickly and fired,  
  
sending the agent crashing into the wall by the force of his bullet.   
  
"I guess its our way now," he said calmly.  
  
"I always hated agents...."  
  
Trinity gained hope- the agent dead! We're the twins on her side?  
  
"We don't have much time," the killer spoke to his twin, "Get her up."  
  
"Two" grabbed Trinity roughly and yanked her to her feet. He lifted her over his back and carried her out  
  
of the room. She watched in horror over his shoulder as the other one morphed into a hideous ghost-like form and  
  
flew through the fiftieth window of the skyscraper. She was put down once inside an elevator and leaned against  
  
the wall. She wish she could fight, but even if she could, she wasn't sure wether her capture was good or bad. She  
  
watched Two open his cell phone and dialed.  
  
Morpheus ran to Tank as he fell and Neo dashed at Rev. Rev aimed carefully at him as he advanced  
  
towards her. Suddenly, Spark came from the hall and dove onto Rev, knocking her to the floor. Neo pulled her  
  
hands behind her back and motioned to Spark to get some rope.   
  
"No..." Morpheus stared at Tank, "No..."  
  
Spark pulled a chair out and the fastened Rev to it tightly so that she could barley move. "They said this  
  
wouldn't happened!" she screamed like a madman. "They said I couldn't get caught! Damn you Trinity!"   
  
Spark pulled out a needle and stuck it into her neck, "Shhh..." he soothed, pushing the liquid into her  
  
veins. "That's it...calm down bitch, you're getting what you deserve..."  
  
Rev hung her head against her chest and fell silent. Spark causally tossed aside the needle. Neo helped  
  
Morpheus lift Tank out of the chair and set him against the wall. Morpheus laid a blanket across his face. Neo  
  
stared at the body and flashed back to a similar scene, as Twitch, Apoc, Mouse, and Dozer's corpses were propped  
  
against the same wall, sheets over their bodies. He blinked and the image faded. The phone rang.  
  
"What?" Neo answered. Spark slid into Tank's seat and started to type. Morpheus circled Rev.   
  
"I've thought of a deal," said the voice on the other line. It wasn't an agent- it was someone different, with  
  
a heavy British accent.   
  
"Who is this?" Neo demanded.  
  
"In time, my friend, in time. I have with me a woman...a woman I believe to be important to you? Am I  
  
right?"  
  
"Trinity..."  
  
"Yes, that is her name I think."   
  
"What did you do to her?" Neo gripped the edge of the table and leaned against it, straining to hear.  
  
"Nothing yet. But I'm not promising that I won't in the near future..."  
  
"What do you want?" Neo tried to sound calm.  
  
"It has come to my attention that you too, are holding a woman who is very important to me."  
  
Neo glanced over at the motionless traitor, "Rev?"  
  
"I believe this puts us in quite a situation...Thomas. You have something I want, and I have something  
  
you want."  
  
"You want to trade, is that it? Rev for Trinity?" He waved his hand towards Spark.  
  
"Keep him talking," Spark whispered.   
  
"Precisely," Two went on.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't like these questions, Mr. Anderson."  
  
"Well that may be so, whoever you are, but right now I don't give a shit!"   
  
Two moved closer to Trinity and breathed deeply, "You know," he said into the phone, his voice as thick  
  
as honey, "Trinity is a very, beautiful, woman."  
  
"Bastard..." Neo seethed.   
  
The elevator doors opened and Two stepped out into the parking garage where One was waiting with a  
  
car. "Fourth Street- the park. You've undoubtably traced the call, so you'll know where we are. Come alone...with  
  
the woman you call Rev. Ten minutes- don't be late."  
  
He hung up.  
  
  
  
"Dammit!" Neo slammed the phone down. "You got it, right Spark?"  
  
"Yup- I can get you within a hundred yards- they must have been planning this, cause there's a phone  
  
booth right next to the park."  
  
Morpheus began to unbind Rev, "Shall I come, Neo?"   
  
"I don't think so, Morpheus. He said come alone and I think he meant it. I guess I'm on my own."  
  
"Nothing you haven't done before."  
  
"Yeah, but I don't even know what I'm up against..."  
  
Spark frowned at the computer screen, "I'll tell you what- it's nothing I've ever seen before. It keeps  
  
blinking on and off...I think it's an exile...."  
  
Neo sat down in the chair across from Trinity an Morpheus placed the unconscious Rev across from him.  
  
Neo looked at Trinity and whispered more to himself than her, "I'm coming, Trinity."  
  
The twin shoved Trinity into the backseat and climbed in the front beside his brother.  
  
"How do we know he'll bring her?" The driver asked.  
  
"Look- I bugged Rev- if she doesn't show up with him, then we simply kill this girl," he jerked his thumb  
  
at Trinity as she lay in the ack seat, bound and gagged.   
  
"And if he does bring her?"  
  
The twin smiled wickedly, "We kill her anyway." 


	15. Rescue

Neo opened his eyes. He found himself in a phone booth- It was dark outside and a few trees lined a  
  
sidewalk. He stepped out of the way as Rev was transported. She arrived awake, but bound. Neo grabbed her wrist  
  
and pulled her out. His cell rang: "Hello?"  
  
"Neo? Is Rev with you?" Spark asked.  
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Okay, the park is to your left, they're near a small stone bridge, it may be a bit hard to se. Start walking  
  
down the path."  
  
Neo did. Rev remained silent as she was pulled along.   
  
"Okay," Spark continued his directions, "Make a left and you'll be there." He hung up.  
  
Neo slipped his phone into his pocket and went left along the small concrete path. There were big oak  
  
trees and some occasional benches and flowers.  
  
"You know, Neo," Rev spoke behind him, "You were right."  
  
Neo glanced back, it was hard to see through his dark glasses, "About what?" he asked coldly.  
  
"This really is all your fault."  
  
All of a sudden, a dark figure rose quickly from the ground in front of them. Neo jumped backwards,  
  
"What the hell was that?!"   
  
"They're here!" Rev sighed with a smile on her face.   
  
The greenish mist took the shape of a frightening man, and hovered before Neo a moment before  
  
becoming solid. It took the form of a tall man with white braids and piercing eyes. "Good, you're here."  
  
Neo quickly got over his shock, "Where's Trinity?"  
  
"In time, Mr. Thomas, in time." He smiled and laughed, sending chills up Neo's spine.   
  
"Neo!" A voice called. It was Trinity!  
  
"Trinity!" Neo gripped Rev tightly and sidestepped the man, "Where is she?!" Behind the man was the  
  
stone bridge, arched over a small stream. Trinity was standing on it, with a man just like the one before Neo  
  
holding a knife to her throat.   
  
"Neo, I have to tell you something!" she shouted, "At the club...when you found me...I think maybe I  
  
might have been-"  
  
"Shut up, Trinity!" Rev shouted, "He already knows!" she almost laughed it.  
  
"Bitch!" Trinity struggled against the man holding her.  
  
Her captor pressed the flat side of the blade against her throat and shouted across to Neo, "Here's how its  
  
going to go, Mr. Anderson- very smoothly. You walk Rev over to me, and once she's in my custody, I will give you  
  
Trinity."   
  
Neo frowned, "How about you walk Trinity over to me, and I give you Rev?"  
  
The man laughed, "I believe I'm the one holding a knife against a throat, Mr. Anderson."   
  
Quick as lightening, Neo pulled out his gun and put it against Rev's head, "Now I believe we're even," he  
  
said calmly.   
  
"Not quite." The twin who wasn't holding Trinity stepped forward, "You're outnumbered."  
  
"Listen!" The other twin shouted, "We have to make this quick Mr. Anderson, so here's how it's gonna  
  
work: You're gonna go by my rules, my plan! And there are ways to make you step forward..." He pulled the knife  
  
away from Trinity's throat and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her long and passionately. Trinity tried to pull  
  
away, but he wrapped his arm around her waist, sliding it down her leather-wear.   
  
Neo dropped Rev and ran like mad at the twin, a rage burning inside him...How dare he touch her! How  
  
dare he even lay a finger on her! He didn't dare to fire his gun at the cost of hitting Trinity. But before he reached  
  
her, the other twin vanished and reappeared right in front of him. Neo crashed into the man and hit the ground  
  
hard. His gun scattered and fell out of his reach. He looked up at the twin, then swung his legs, and landing back  
  
on his feet.   
  
Rev ran and hid behind a tree, trying to stay out of the twins way.  
  
Neo swung at the man, but the ghost vanished, the reappeared next to Neo, kicking him sideways and  
  
sending him flying into the trunk of a tree. Neo jumped up and began fighting furiously, but the twin would turn  
  
ghostly at times, sending Neo's arm straight through him. Every time it did, Neo felt a cold blast that felt like  
  
dipping his arm into an ice cooler. The twin jabbed for his chest, but he blocked, throwing him off like a rag doll.  
  
Neo could really beat him up if he just stayed solid.  
  
He jumped p and triple kicked the twin in the face, then drove his knee into his head. Neo looked up as  
  
the twin lay on the ground and saw that the other twin was still holding Trinity tightly- putting his hands places  
  
where they shouldn't be. He released her and smirked at Neo.   
  
"Come and get her!" He shouted. The twin jumped high into the air, carrying Trinity with him, and  
  
disappeared when he was about fifty feet up. Neo watched in horror as Trinity hung there for a moment before she  
  
began to tumble back to the ground.   
  
Time slowed and Neo crouched down on the ground, sending waves of earth rippling out from where he  
  
knelt. He pushed off and broke an important rule of the Matrix: gravity. He flew through the air at an impossible  
  
speed, his coat flying out behind him, fire trailing from his feet.  
  
Trinity fell in slow motion, falling down, down, down. She saw the stone bridge spiraling closer and  
  
closer to her. Neo felt his stomach scrape the bridge as he launched as across and caught her in his arms. He tore  
  
through the night air and sailed over the buildings, holding Trinity in his arms.   
  
She looked up at him, eyes opening slowly. She smiled and closed them tightly, feeling the rush of flying.   
  
The twin landed back on his feet and found his brother and Rev. "They're gone," he said.   
  
"Why' d you let them get away?!" Rev demanded angrily.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Two said, staring up sat the starless sky. His appearance wavered for a moment, then  
  
his mashed face reformed into its regular self, "I have a feeling we'll meet again anyway."  
  
  
  
  
  
Neo sat Trinity down in the bus stop where a small bench was protected by a glass three-walled  
  
"building." He searched her eyes, asking if she was okay.  
  
"I'm fine, Neo. Really, I am."  
  
Neo nodded.   
  
Even the crickets had stopped chirping, and the still night air wrapped around them like a blanket.  
  
"Trinity?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Um..how long- did you know? I mean, about- the thing."  
  
"A month." Trinity replied curtly, looking at the ground.  
  
"And- and you didn't tell me?" They didn't look at each other.   
  
"I wasn't sure."  
  
"And you are now?"  
  
There was along pause before she answered, "No."  
  
"Trinity, I-"  
  
Trinity turned around and put her hands on the his face, smoothing back his hair with her thumbs, "I'm  
  
so sorry, Neo. I'm so sorry." She kissed him gently, trying to console him.   
  
Eventually, he pulled away from her and looked sadly into her eyes, "I guess we're gonna be going  
  
through a hell of a lot more shit than before, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
  
Trinity leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.   
  
There was gonna be only one more chapter, but I changed my mind and decided to keep this going for a bit  
  
longer....Hope you enjoy! 


	16. Zion

Neo gripped the walls as the ship screeched to a stop outside the great gates of Zion. He had a serious case  
  
of the butterflies, wondering how the last human city looked today. Trinity put her hand on his shoulder behind him  
  
and gave him a reassuring look as he glanced back at her.   
  
Spark sat beside Morpheus at the controls and stared solemnly out the windshield. It was the first time Neo  
  
had ever seen Spark act serious. Spark was dying to see his family again- although he was raised on ships- his family  
  
was from Zion, and that's where they all went.   
  
"The Nebucechenezer wishes for permission to enter, Zion," Morpheus spoke.  
  
"Permission granted. Welcome home..."  
  
The enormous gates groaned and creaked open, and all crew members looked on in awe. The gates swung  
  
open and there stood monstrous metal buildings, scraping the ashen sky. Neo dropped his jaw and Trinity smiled.  
  
"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked.   
  
Neo closed his mouth quickly, a bit embarrassed. The truth was, he was sort of disappointment: he had  
  
expected a city more...like the ones in the matrix. A city of shiny glass and futuristic clothes. One with hover crafts  
  
and antennas on the homes- more like the Jetsons. Instead, he saw what looked almost like a Relocation Center, only  
  
bigger.   
  
He held on tight to the sides of the ship as it docked roughly in what appeared to be the center of the town.  
  
He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, then followed Trinity towards their exit- and entrance. When the  
  
doors swung open, he saw something worse then from out the window. People literally crawled up to him, talking  
  
hurriedly and looking up at Neo wide-eyed. Filthy rags draped over their skinny arms and bodies. Dirt was smeared  
  
on their grubby faces. They looked like peasants almost.   
  
They called out to him, reaching for him, tugging on his pant legs. Neo swallowed and tried to back up, but  
  
bumped into Morpheus.   
  
"They've been waiting for you, Neo."  
  
Neo tried not to show his fear. He sensed Spark coming up behind him, "Damn..." he heard him  
  
distinctively say.   
  
The people placed baskets at Neo's feet, filled to the brim with what appeared to be bread. Hope flickered  
  
in him- at least they didn't eat mush.   
  
A weather worn woman with long dark hair pushed her way through the crowd. Neo noted the bracelets on  
  
her ankles jingling as she walked. She ran to Spark and embraced him. Spark dropped his bag and hugged her back.  
  
"Spark! You've come back! In one piece, too!" She pulled away and looked at Neo, "I know who you are," she said  
  
with tears in her eyes, "You're the one. You're the one who'll save us!" She put her hand on his shoulder and looked  
  
into his eyes, "We welcome you."   
  
She turned to Morpheus, "Thank you for bringing back my son, Morpheus." she said. "Let me show you to the  
  
council."  
  
Neo looked at Spark, who simply shrugged, "That's my mom for ya."  
  
  
  
Spark's mother led them across a metal bridge and onto what looked to Neo like a big apartment balcony  
  
with doors lining the endless walls. The tall woman (very different than her son) opened a door and Neo stepped  
  
cautiously inside. The room had an uncovered ceiling with pipes and shafts exposed, hanging low enough so that he  
  
had to duck his head when he stepped inside. There was a flimsy desk at the far end where a small bald man sat.  
  
Around him were ten chairs, five on each side, forming the shape of a U. Men and woman were all seated in these  
  
chairs, they looked up when Neo stepped awkwardly into the room.   
  
"So," the man at the desk put down the pencil he was writing wit and looked hard at Neo, "You are The  
  
One?"  
  
"Um..." he looked back at Morpheus, who gave him no help, "Yes."  
  
"You don't seem so sure."  
  
Neo coughed, "I am."   
  
"You don't look like the others," the man frowned, "And we've decided that that's a good thing."  
  
"Oh. Good."  
  
"I just wanted to be the first to formally greet you, and welcome you to this great city," He paused for a  
  
moment, looking Neo over, "I expect your very tired, and accommodations have been made for you. Get some sleep,  
  
Neo. I promise you'll enjoy your stay."  
  
Once outside, Neo allowed himself to breathe, "Jeez, I felt like a lab rat or something," he remarked to  
  
Spark.   
  
"How come?"  
  
"The way they looked at me...I dunno."  
  
"Relax," Trinity smiled, "They do it all the time, so you might as well get used to it."  
  
Just then, a door swung open and out skipped a small girl of about five. Her face lit up at the sight of her  
  
older brother, "Spark!" she ran and jumped into his arms, "You're back!"  
  
Trinity smiled at Neo and squeezed his hand. Neo felt like he was gonna be sick.   
  
Spark turned towards Neo and Trinity, "This is my little sister," he said with a grin, "Match. And I know,  
  
Spark, Match, Flame, I've heard them all so don't even bother."  
  
"Who's Flame?" Neo asked curiously.   
  
His question was answered when a tall, lean, blonde stepped out into the hall, "Match, I told you a thousand  
  
time, you cant just-" she stopped short when she saw the crowd, "- wander out," she finished weakly. "Hello  
  
Morpheus. Trinity. Neo."  
  
Neo was surprised that she knew his name, but basically everyone in the city did. Flamed looked at Spark,  
  
"Oh, you're home."  
  
"Nice to see you, too," Spark muttered.   
  
Neo laughed, "Two sisters. I can't imagine your home life."  
  
"Why do you think I joined the Neb?"   
  
Flame playfully punched her brother and he set down Match to chase after her. Trinity and Neo watched,  
  
amused, before Morpheus laid his hand on their shoulders, "Let me show you where you'll be staying." He led them  
  
down a long hall; Neo couldn't stop looking around, peering over the railing at the tons of other doors and caverns.  
  
Finally, Morpheus stopped and swung open a door. "Trinity will know where almost everything is, if not, I'm sure  
  
Flame will show you around. There's a shower, but unfortunately, the whole city's rigged to the same water tank,  
  
meaning running water during one can make it very...uncomfortable."" He left them there and headed off to his own  
  
quarters. Neo stepped inside and almost reached for a light switch, but stopped himself.   
  
Inside, it was dark and gloomy, with a single cot and creepy pipes like in the council room. Trinity closed  
  
the door behind them.  
  
Neo turned around, "How long will we stay here?"   
  
Trinity wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close, "Just until we find a new operator." She  
  
began kissing his neck and moving him towards the bed.  
  
"Trinity-" Neo tried to push her off.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I dunno...."  
  
Trinity looked up at him sadly, "You wanna talk?"  
  
Neo looked at the ground and shook his head. Was it him, or was it getting very hot in here?  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
He nodded weakly, "Where's the bathroom?"  
  
"Always the door on the left."  
  
"I think I'm gonna be sick-" Neo ran to the door on the left and slammed it behind him. Trinity put their  
  
bags in the corner and waited a moment before opening the bathroom door.   
  
Neo was knelt on the floor in front of the toilet, his head resting on his arm on the closed seat.   
  
"Neo?" Trinity wanted to see if he was conscious. Neo weakly raised a hand and she crouched beside him.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"No...not really."  
  
"You throw up?" She ran her hand through his soft and somewhat messy hair, feeling once again like his  
  
mother, rather than his lover.  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Poor baby," she smiled.   
  
Neo turned his head over to smile back, "Not funny. I don't feel good."  
  
"Awww, do you want me to kiss your booboo?" She laughed and stood up, "I'm going to bed. Are you  
  
gonna join me, or sleep here?"  
  
Neo draped his arm over the toilet, "In a minute..."  
  
Trinity smiled down at him, "Don't keep me waiting..." 


	17. Flame

Neo shifted uncomfortably in bed, breaking free of Trinity's sleeping form. He pulled the grimy pillow out  
  
from under his head and put it over his ears, as if he heard something loud. He shifted the pillow to between his  
  
knees, then under his head, then he hurled it across the room. He pulled his knees to his chest and looked around the  
  
dim room.   
  
It wasn't like he was afraid of the dark or anything- it was just that he liked to know where everything was.  
  
His phobia was especially strong tonight, because he had no idea where things were in the light.   
  
What was that?!  
  
Neo looked around quickly, trying to see through the thick blackness that hung about the room. He could've  
  
sworn he'd seen something moving in the dark. Neo swallowed, feeling like a little kid, alone in a cabin in the  
  
middle of the mountains at night. For some reason, the "mountains" had always "bugged" him. Okay, "scared" him.  
  
He hated that feeling of loneliness, knowing that no one was around for miles and miles.  
  
He considered waking Trinity, but was afraid she'd laugh at him for being so childish. "Grow up," he found  
  
himself saying aloud.   
  
"Hmmm?"   
  
Neo looked over at Trinity, laying beside him with the covers drawn up about her shoulders and tucked  
  
under her arms. "Are you awake, Trin?"  
  
"What do you think?" she mumbled, rolling over to face the sound of his voice. Even though her eyes were  
  
closed, Neo felt as if she were still looking at him.   
  
"Trin?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Trinity?"  
  
Still no answer. She had fallen back asleep and Neo felt terrible for wanting to deprive her of her much  
  
needed rest. He sighed and climbed carefully over her. Once he had both feet on the floor, Neo fumbled for his worn  
  
boots and threadbare jacket.   
  
He opened the door ever so quietly and snuck out into the cool night air. He stared over the railing  
  
longingly, it was hard to believe it was outdoors, the city was underground, though. Suddenly, he felt a presence  
  
behind him. Neo whirled around and found Flame, staring over his shoulder. They both jumped.  
  
"Gee, I'm sorry," Flame apologized, "I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Neo smiled, "It's fine. I'm just a little...jumpy, tonight."  
  
"You mean this morning- its about three 'o' clock."  
  
"Oh," Neo laughed nervously, "Yeah. Heh." What was with him? Ever since Rev, Neo felt guilty even  
  
talking to a girl other than Trinity.  
  
"So," Flame asked, trying to make conversation, "What's it like...being The One?"  
  
Neo looked confused, "Good? I dunno..."  
  
"I mean," she edged in closer, "I bet there a lot of amazing things you can do..."  
  
Neo felt himself backing away.  
  
Flame blushed, "I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. I know you love Trinity, I saw you too holding  
  
hands. What I meant was... I think there's a chance that might be able to save this city. We've been waiting a long  
  
time for you."  
  
Neo looked away from her perfect face, framed by her silky long hair.   
  
"You know, Zion is particularly known for its great parties. I'm sure Trinity's been waiting for you to sk  
  
her."  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm not much of a party-guy," he looked up at the rocky ceiling.  
  
"Sure you are. Everyone has a wild side- you can't be all grounded. How else can you fly?"  
  
Neo smiled, "Trust me, there are ways."  
  
"You know," Flame leaned over the railing and outstretched her arms, "I've always wanted to fly..."  
  
"Maybe I'll take you someday."  
  
"Are you saying you can fly?" she laughed.  
  
"Are you saying I can't?" Neo gave her a flirtatious smile.  
  
"Well, I'd like to take you up on that offer sometime," she smiled back.  
  
"A friend of Spark's is a friend of mine. Or sister..or whatever."  
  
Flame laughed, "Well thanks for giving him back," she said sarcastically, "Now I have to put up with  
  
him!"  
  
"You don't like your own brother?" Neo asked in disbelief.  
  
"I guess you're an only child, huh?"   
  
"It shows?"  
  
"No one likes their siblings, trust me. Especially when one's four and the others a lazy seventeen year old."  
  
They both laughed and Neo stretched, "I'm going to bed. Night Flame, tell your brother I said hi." He  
  
turned and went back inside, still feeling a tad bit guilty.   
  
Jeez, he thought, Trinity's got me so strung up I can't even talk to a girl without worrying I'll be "caught."   
  
He climbed back over Trinity and lay beside her, staring up at a swinging lightbulb and listening to it  
  
flickering on and off, on and off. 


	18. Tension and Arguments

By the way, I cant make italics, and xxx turns out in code or something, so 'xxx' means italics, a.k.a, emphasis.  
  
(Ooh, big word!).  
  
The next morning, Trinity pulled on her pants and slid on her shoes. "Sleep well?" she asked Neo as she  
  
went to the mirror.   
  
Neo sat on the edge of the bed, "No. In fact, I got up around three and was talking with Spark's sister." He  
  
had to be honest, she'd find out eventually and it'd be better if it came from him. Neo paused, waiting for Mount  
  
Trinity to erupt.  
  
"Oh?" Trinity was running her hands through her short brown hair and frowning at her reflection.  
  
"Yeah," Neo gained confidence, "And I'm allowed to talk to girls, you know."  
  
"I'm sorry, did I say you weren't?"  
  
"No...It's just that you got all pissed when I talked to Rev and-"  
  
"Rev is different," Trinity quickly interrupted, "And why did you bring that up? Are you saying that I keep  
  
you on a leash?"  
  
"No, but-"  
  
"Well, it's not like you had sex with Flame; or Rev for that matter."  
  
"Of course not," Neo said, a bit confused, "It's just that I thought you'd be mad."  
  
Trinity came back out, "Is that why you did it? You talked to Flame in hopes that I'd get mad?"  
  
"No! No," Neo stated, "It's nothing like that!"  
  
"Well then, we don't have a problem, now do we?" Trinity spoke curtly.   
  
"Uh...no?"  
  
"Then there's no need for this pointless conversation, right?"  
  
"No?"  
  
"Good," she kissed him on the cheek. Neo put his elbows on his knees and his head in hands. Trinity  
  
stopped in the doorway and looked back at him. "You wanna talk." She said it, not asked it, in a tone that meant she  
  
knew he wanted to.  
  
"Well, yeah," Neo looked up, "But we never do 'talk' Trinity, we argue. We fight, bicker, or yell. I think  
  
that all line of communications between us are down. And now there's this baby thing-"  
  
"Baby thing?" Trinity turned around to face him, "Are you saying that you don't want to care for my child,  
  
because it's not yours?"  
  
"Trinity, you knew that's not what I meant!"  
  
She stepped forward and grabbed his shirt, pulling him to his feet, "Well listen, dumbass, you're not the one  
  
carrying the god damn thing around in you stomach all day, okay? You don't have to feed two people instead of just  
  
one! You don't even know what the hell pain 'is'." She released him and he dropped onto the bed.  
  
"Jeez," Neo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "Talk about PMS."  
  
"Yeah, Putting up with Men's Shit."  
  
"I'm gonna get a shower," Neo said angrily, glaring at Trinity.   
  
"You do that." Trinity walked over to her bag and rooted through it as Neo swung open the door on the  
  
right and stepped inside. The door closed. "Neo," Trinity said calmly, "That's the closet."  
  
Neo stepped out, "I'm aware of that," he stormed across the room and slammed he bathroom door behind  
  
him.  
  
  
  
A moment later, Trinity knocked on Spark's door, "May I use your bathroom?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Uh, sure. I guess." Spark watched her walk in and flush the toilet. She paused in the doorway and waited.  
  
A moment later, she heard Neo yelp from several doors down. She smiled at Spark, "Thanks. I feel better." She  
  
headed back to her room and Spark heard her mutter with a smile,"Gotta love Zion's water heater..." 


	19. More Tension and More Arguments

Trinity looked up from her breakfast as Neo sat down across from her. It was later that day and they all  
  
were eating at Spark's room. Neo's face lit up at the sight of something other than mush on his plate. There were  
  
small pieces of bread (or at least that's what it looked like) and something that looked like tiny rolls. Neo dug in as  
  
everyone watched in amusement.   
  
Match giggled from the corner where she knelt, playing with a small rag doll. Neo looked up and presently  
  
became aware that everyone was watching him.  
  
"What?"  
  
No one answered and he went back to engulfing his meal, course by course.   
  
"Somebody's hungry." Trinity remarked under her breath.  
  
Neo heard, "Somebody's ornery."  
  
"Did you have a nice shower?" Trinity asked casually.   
  
It took Neo a while before what she said dawned upon him, "You know, Trinity, for someone who loves  
  
me, you don't really seem to like me very much."   
  
"Oh, is that right? Did I say this before or after you refused to take care of our baby?"  
  
The chair scraped the floor as Neo pushed away from the table, "Okay, it's not our baby, and I never said  
  
that! Stop putting words in my mouth!"  
  
"Putting them in your mouth?" Trinity stood up, "You know that's how you feel and it shows every time  
  
you open your mouth!"   
  
Flame and Spark watched them curiously as Neo stood up and faced her, "What the hell are you talking  
  
about?! I never said anything like that!"  
  
"Yes you did, you dumbass! You said it hardly an hour ago!"  
  
Spark stood up and walked over to Match, who was watching wide-eyed, "Okay, Match, why don't you go  
  
see if you can help mommy with the dishes, okay?"  
  
"But I-"  
  
Spark ushered her through the kitchen door and Flame followed them.  
  
Neo and Trinity stood glaring at each other from across the table.  
  
"You know," Trinity said, staring Neo coldly in the eyes, "I didn't ask to have this baby, okay? Trust me,  
  
I'd do anything not to!"  
  
"All you've been doing is yelling at me! Your not the oracle, you can't read my mind!"  
  
"Well I can read your emotions pretty damn well!"  
  
"What that supposed to mean?!"  
  
Trinity stepped onto the table and then onto the ground on the other side. Neo backed up.  
  
"It means that you're insensitive," she shoved him backwards, "Stupid," she shoved him again, "And  
  
selfish!" She pushed him one last time and he hit wall.   
  
She stared at him as she had him pinned against the metallic walls: his dark eyes were questioning, his glare  
  
was unwavering, and those two strands of hair on the top of his head that never seemed to stay down made him  
  
looked so damn cute. She pressed her lips against his and felt him passionately kissing back. They stayed in the  
  
liplock for nearly two minutes before the door swung open and Morpheus entered, followed by a dark man with a lot  
  
of braids, interrupting Neo and Trinity as they were making up/out.   
  
Morpheus cleared his throat loudly and the two pulled apart. Trinity smiled, "Morpheus. May I help you?"  
  
Morpheus smiled, "I'd like you to meet our new operator, Link."  
  
The man stepped forward, a bit embarrassed for intruding. He shook hands with Trinity, then Neo, who was  
  
still pinned against the wall. Trinity released him and they all stood there in an uneasy silence.   
  
Morpheus spoke, "Link, this is Trinity and-"  
  
"Neo. I know. Basically everyone does," he laughed uneasily and Spark stuck his head in the room.  
  
"Is the war over?" he asked cautiously.   
  
"We've reached peaceful negotiations," Trinity said, her arms still wrapped around Neo's waist.  
  
Link stepped forward, "It'll be an honor to work with you both." He looked as if he really meant it, too.   
  
"Yeah," Neo smiled, "Same here. It's about time we got someone else on the ship. Now we have four  
  
people instead of three."  
  
Trinity looked at Neo, "Five, Neo, five."  
  
"Nuh uh, four... oh. Excuse me." He broke free and ran towards the bathroom.  
  
"Door on your left, sweetie!" Trinity called after him.  
  
Link looked concerned, "He okay?"  
  
"Yeah," Trinity reassured him, "Just severe case of commitment phobia." 


	20. Dream: My Final Chapter

AUTHORS NOTE: I'm afraid that this is the end, my faithful friends. The final chapter of my first fic. *sniff  
  
sniff* But I get outta school on Tuesday (half day) and I'll be writing tons more, including Ex, which is on the site  
  
now. So enjoy my last chapter and please review and read my next fic!  
  
Neo stood uncomfortably amidst the blarring music and the heavy rhythm of the drums. People moved  
  
about him, and he tried to keep one hand on the drink bar to avoid being swept off into the mosh pit. He felt a  
  
presence beside him and saw that Trinity had walked over.   
  
"Hey," she said, and Neo was surprised that he could here her over the noise. He nodded at her in a man's  
  
way of saying 'hi.' Trinity picked up two wooden cups from the bar and handed one to Neo, who stared into it  
  
cautiously. He watched Trinity top hers into her open mouth and swallow. Spark approached them with a similar  
  
drink and a blonde who seemed attached to his arm.   
  
Neo smiled and took a sip of the liquid. It burned inside his throat and made him gag. His face turned white  
  
and he swallowed hard, putting the drink back down. He steadied himself on the bar table and paused a moment  
  
before he started breathing again.   
  
"Good?" Trinity asked with a smile.   
  
"Strong," Neo managed, "Very strong."  
  
Spark peered into his drink before putting it back on the table and wandering off with the woman.   
  
"C' mon," Trinity grabbed his hand, "Let's dance."  
  
"No, no. That's okay. I don't...dance."  
  
Trinity leaned against him, just like she had done so in the dance club when they first met and whispered in  
  
his ear, "Wanna do something else?"  
  
***************************  
  
~*Was it so bad to feel the way he did? To feel happy about something so sad? No, happy wasn't the right  
  
word...more like relieved. Was he being selfish? Part of him kept saying yes, he was being a terrible person. A  
  
terrible person for being thankful that Trinity had a miscarriage- thankful that she was alive and her child wasn't.  
  
What could be more awful than a feeling like that?  
  
Trinity was falling: falling, falling, falling, amidst a shower of glass. Bullets whizzed about her head, her  
  
body, fire exploded from her gun. The agent fell above her, firing wildly in the off chance that he might hit her.   
  
And the off chance was on: a bullet tore through her chest, ripped through her heart. The look on her face  
  
was horrified and shocked: I'm dying.... As if in that instant, it hit her like the bullet: Death can come to her, she's  
  
not invincible. She can die...*~  
  
  
  
Neo awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. He stared at Trinity, lying beside him...alive. Her shoulders  
  
rose and fell with every breath she took. The darkness in the rooms seemed to grow, yet Neo was calm....It was just a  
  
dream.  
  
Now go see the Matrix Reloaded. And review my story. Oh, and read my other ones 2!!  
  
Look at me! I'm writing a blurb! Yay! A blur1 I always wanted 2 rite a blurb at the end of a fic! Blurby blurby  
  
blurby!  
  
Ok that's enough.  
  
Byez!   
  
~*Hallie*~ 


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